Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas!!!!

My favourite holiday of all.

 But Christmas is so much more.

I sat and looked at the lights of the tree on Christmas Eve and admired the sparkly presents.  And my thoughts were to remember what this season is about.  The JOY of Jesus' birth.  Our saviour who was born of a virgin (imagine that) to save us from our sins.  To wipe clean all our hurts and shame.  How marvellous, how humbling.  There is a peace and joy that comes with this season.  It overcomes the stress of shopping and money and everything that causes stress. 

This is our Christmas Eve.

the morning spent colouring Christmas pages.

Our Christmas Eve Feast.

The tree and stockings all ready for the big morning!!

Christmas Morning.  Who knows how long she's been sitting there.

this lump showed up next.

and then I got all of them.

Willow gone vintage.

Kamo's xbox racing face.

Merry Christmas!!

It was close to be the shortest day of the year.  But it felt like a really long day.  And not in a bad way.  In a way where you got to do all you wanted to do.  Snuggle as much as you wanted to snuggle. Ate enough food.  Spent time with your loved ones - and if not in person then via text or phone.  

I love the feeling of not "having to be together" but wanting to be together.

We have a crazy troupe and we love them to bits.

Happy Thanksgiving.

It is with this beautiful sunset that this weekend started.

The entire sky was glowing, orange and pink.

It was so incredible words and pictures don't do it justice.

 I LOVE that there is a holiday that is dedicated to reminding people to be thankful.  I know the history of this day has more to it but the name says it all.
The turkey, stuffing and oh so yummy pumpkin pie is secondary to the attitude we all need to display.  Thankfulness.  Pure, unadulterated thankfulness despite our company, regardless of the moistness of the turkey, regardless of the circumstances of our day, ( week, year).  When you are truly thankful you step outside of your circumstances and remember the good things.  You can be thankful in ALL circumstances,  yes it can be hard but there is always a little nugget you can hang on to.

that our daughter is creative and made these super cute turkeys

so thankful for a yummy meal, enjoyed in the sunshine of a fall garden.

And family.  I am incredibly thankful for my family.

My husband, kids.

Parents, Parents in Law, sisters and brothers, 

nieces and nephews, 

cousins, aunts and uncles,

and friends near and far.

In Everything let us give thanks all year long!

School Year 2015-2016

Or you could call it my whole new kind of crazy.

I've got this cute bundle of fun going to Grade 1.

He'll learn to read, and write.  He'll be gone ALL day.

I'll miss his snuggles and his antics and laughter.

Then there are the 2 middle kids in middle school.

This year I'm their teacher and the kitchen table will be their desk.

Here they are enjoying their back to school Pancake Breakfast.

Then there is the oldest one who thinks she's going to Graduate this year.

Well she'd better graduate but just the thought…..

I can't get my head (or heart) around it.

This is the stack of books that arrived in the mail just in time for Day 1.

It's going to be a big year all around - for everyone!!

Am I anxious? Yes.  Excited? Yes.

At the moment I"m overwhelmed.

I want to get everything organized and scheduled to perfection and I'm trying to let that go.  I will have a schedule, I can't live without one but I'll try also to be flexible and know that we will get it done.

Some days will go off without a hitch ( I hope) and others we will make a promise at the end to never speak of again.

But I do this because it is important.  My kids need me and others that have gone before me have succeeded so here goes!!!!

Berries….

Yummy Yummy Berries.

Tuesday we spent the day at The Saskatoon Farm in Okotoks.

My cousin took the kids to the park while I went picking.  These were some of the biggest juiciest saskatoons I've seen in my life.

I had my first bucket half way filled when I was regretting the kids going instead of helping ( next year they are coming!!) but I kept on and ended up with 2.5 pails of deliciousness.

Time for a picnic.

Standing in front of a fig tree.

The farm looks like a little old town and the shops are filled with all these cool gift items.  The greenhouses are beautiful, there was even a banana tree in one.  And then these huge flower displays along the entire street

Then to end the day with a bang…

HOMEMADE saskatoon icecream.

My new all favourite flavour.

Loving Summer.

National Loewen's Summer Vacation - 2015

One week.  A cabin.  Hot weather.

6 Loewen's  =

a really great summer vacation.

We rented a cabin near Radium Hot Springs and set out for a week of fun, adventure and relaxing.

The first night we were lucky enough to have a fire, the very next day the fire ban was declared.  So in 30 degree heat we roasted our weenies and made some delicious smores.

One of our goals was to catch some fish and cook them for dinner.

#1 Dorothy Lake.  fishing for kids and seniors.

there were turtles.

the fish were still little and not even close to being dinner.

strike 1.

#2  Dogleg Lake

Sundee took a break from fishing.  could this be our downfall.

but we had Mister Muscle how could things go wrong?

and then there was the eagle that caught my attention.

this is just one photo of many.  Please feel free to email me if you would like to see the other Million  few photos I took.

I'm not sure if I need to elaborate on how excited I was to first- spot the eagle in the tree across the lake, second-take photos of it in the tree, third- take more photos while it was flying (and I was running- very tricky)

I didn't talk about anything else the entire day, just saying.

Oh and yes, for fishing- strike 2.

Time for a break.

We spent a day at Lake Windermere.

With the train going right past it felt like I was inside a railroad model.

On Sunday we decided to try out the hot springs.

Here we are at Radium Hot springs.

I was really impressed.  So much better than the ones we were at in Banff.

More what I was expecting with the trees and rocks and Mountain view.

We spent at good time of our day here between the hot pool and the cold pool.

The following morning our plan was to rent a boat and try some more fishing.

Well the weather wasn't cooperating as it was quite windy and the boat guy as we like to refer to him as "Sweet Pete" redirected us to a new activity.

Like I said.  I was impressed with Radium Hot Springs.

This blew it out of the water.  Haha.

the drive.  well that's another thing.

If you like logging roads, curvy mountain gravel roads, no guard rails and the view straight (straight) down that leaves nothing to your imagination should you make a wrong move, a view of death and peril, so "breathtaking" that you sit closer to the middle of the vehicle as if your weight will keep it on the road and not going over the edge……

and then you arrive.

to the destination of your dreams.

true and authentic hot springs.

not commercialized.  

a river, with rocks, some parts steaming hot, some warm, some cold.

AMAZING!!

After we tried another fishing spot.  such clear water.

Once again no fish.

Strike 3.  We were OUT!!

But back to the lake for some swimming and fun.

Some big horned sheep we saw.

We had a really great time.  Very relaxing mornings, adventures, some cool drives, some great laughs, ice-cream, pizza, fishing, swimming….

2 things that didn't happen.  We didn't catch any fish and we didn't see a bear.

Next time.

We did see Mountain goats, big horned sheep, eagles, deer, turtles, and

mountains and trees!